European Citizens’ Prize for ambisonic audio dramas

2023-07-18

European Citizens’ Prize for ambisonic audio dramas

Ambisonic audio dramas for blind and partially sighted children, created in cooperation with the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center and the Special School and Education Center for Blind Children in Owińska, Radio Meteor and the Festival of Radio Plays, were honoured with the European Citizen’s Prize 2023.

At the end of June, a meeting of the European Citizen’s Prize, chaired by Dita Charanzová, Vice-President of the European Parliament, was held in Brussels and awarded this prize to the project “A modern-day Cinderella” and “The Frog Doesn’t Laugh”: ambisonic audio dramas for blind and partially sighted people”.

“A modern-day Cinderella” was created by students and lecturers from Radio Meteor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. The fairy-tale story in metropolitan modernity was presented, among others, on Polskie Radio S.A. Gabriela Jelonek (PSNC) was responsible for directing the radio play. The ambisonic version was developed together with teachers from the OSW for blind children in Owińska. In turn, “The Frog Doesn’t Laugh” is one of the projects of the Festival of Radio Plays 2021, which was created in cooperation with the Children’s Art Centre in Poznań.The text of the play by Michał Kazmierczak was directed by Maria Marcinkiewicz-Górna, and the music was composed and performed by Piotr Skotnicki. In this radio play we will hear the voices of actors from Poznan theatres – Teatr Polski and Teatr Nowy. Jan Skorupa from the New Media Department of the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center, who has experience in the field of spatial and ambisonic sound, was responsible for the sound production. Thanks to a specialised sound installation located at the PSNC Future Labs, it was possible to present radio plays produced in a multi-channel – spatial form.

Each year, the European Parliament awards a prize to projects carried out by individuals or organisations that encourage mutual understanding and closer integration within the EU, cross-border cooperation that strengthens the European spirit and respect for the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. In this year’s edition 216 projects were submitted for the competition, among which the winners were also audio dramas from Poznań which are using 360°sound.